We announced a set of integrations that we are working on with Active a couple of days ago and there has been confusion and concern.
First, this is a technical integration. There are a variety of customers with a cross set of technologies. For example, there are dozens of timers who time thousands of races with Active Ipico equipment and use RunSignup for RaceDay technologies like scoring and registration. Alternatively, a timer who uses RunSignup for our RaceDay technologies and recommends RunSignup to most races may also have a race who uses Active. To help these customers, there should be simpler integrations than we had in the past because we could not cooperate.
Second, there is no business relationship – we are still competitors in the market. RunSignup has no interest in acquiring Active or vice-versa. RunSignup is not changing our pricing, our open strategy, our rapid pace of technology development, our ambitions to be the best, or our ambitions to help every race and timer and nonprofit we can.
Third, there were deep levels of animosity between the companies in the past. Toby and Bob have met and the companies have agreed to set those aside, and move forward in a way that benefits the industry. The simple fact is that RunSignup and Active are by far the largest two players in the endurance market. The other fact is that the endurance market is made up many, many small entities – races, clubs, timers, etc. – that have a diverse set of tools and legacy investments. Having the two largest installed bases of technology able to interoperate is a good thing, and far better than the aggressive adversarial approach of the past.
Finally, this is nothing new. RunSignup has had an Open API since near the beginning. This forms the basis of our extensive Marketplace with dozens of partners. It is how we became so successful with timers and races – being an open platform.
